Toyota Corona Review from Indonesia

1992 Toyota Corona 2.0L

Summary:

It's a great older car that always needs a little love from time to time

Faults:

Engine was knocking when I purchased the vehicle. I attempted to check the ignition timing, only to find that there was no timing mark on the crank pulley. To find TDC, I stuck a socket extension in the spark plug hole for CYL 1, and rotated the engine until the extension was up all the way, and then made a mark on the crankshaft where TDC was. The timing belt was off by 2 teeth.

While tinkering with the ignition timing/timing belt, I managed to damage a wire that runs to the alternator, that connects on the back of said alternator via a connector that has 3 wires. All of the wires appeared to be corroded, and the plastic/rubber parts of the connector have become hardened and non-pliable. The wires appear to be oxidized inside their insulation. I spliced a new wire on and soldered it in place.

Transmission pan is leaking.

Front right outer CV boot is torn.

Driver's side power window is sluggish and needs "help" closing.

Front passenger side window switch only works going down. Driver switch works for this window.

Both tie-rod ends need to be replaced as they have excessive play.

Accelerator cable was frayed outside of its sheath near the throttle body.

Temperature gauge was not working, replaced and is now functioning.

All of the vents for the A/C are broken as such that you cannot direct the airflow left or right, but only up and down. I believe the connection between the center to all of the other fins is missing/broken and needs a replacement.

General Comments:

Seats are very comfortable.

Interior seems quite modern for being a 1992 car.

The transmission shifts great.

Easy to drive, just wish the turn radius was better for driving in Indonesia.

This car is easy to work on and problems should be expected for a car this old. If you have experience in automotive repair or wish to learn, one of these cars would be great to learn from. If you have no experience, know of nobody who can help you, or don't wish to have to take the car to a shop... look for a newer car. The problems these cars have are relatively simple fixes, but you'll most likely always have problems here and there due to the age.